Maximilian thiele



(No Model.)

M. THIELE, C. KTITPPERLING & F. SICHTERMANN. TOY.-

No. 491,690. Patented Feb. 14, 1893.

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" NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAXIMILIAN THIELE, CARL KIlPFERLING, AND FRITZ SIGIITERMANN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,690, dated February 14, 1893.

Application filed April 11, 1892. Serial No. 428,707. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MAXIMILIAN THIELE, CARL KiiPnEnLINe, and FRITZ SIOHTEBMANN, all subjects of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Berlin, in the German Empire, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates to a game apparatus or toy.

The principal ob'ects of our invention are,

first, to provide a simple, durable and inexpensivetoyorgameapparatusfor amusing and instructing the old as well as the young; and second, to provide a toy or game apparatus adapted to exercise and strengthen the muscles and nerves of the hand or arm and to test the comparative steadiness of the hands or arms of difierent persons. Any body or thing that moves upward along an inclined plane or straight edge without the application of visible traction force attracts attention and excites considerable surprise. In our invention this unusual and surprising result is accomplished, and a grotesque figure caused to climb or crawl upward along and toward the highest portion of an inclined plane or straight edge by means of a bent wire to which it clings. This result is in fact accompllshed by the invisible and unconscious nervous or muscular vibrations and twitchings of the hand and arm of a person holding the straight edge, so that such person, as well as the spectator cannot account for the phenomenon of the grotesque figure clinging to the bent wire and traveling up hill by means thereof, without the application of visible tract on force.

The nature, scope and characteristic features of our invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating in perspective a gameapparat-us or toy embodying features of our invention and also showing the mode of operating the same.

In the drawinga, is a metal blade orstralghtedge provided with a handle a, adapted to be grasped in the hand, as shown.

b, is a grotesque figure, 1n the present 1nstance a monkey, clinging to preferably a U- shaped staple or wire 0, the upper portion 0, of which is adapted to ride upon the blade at.

d, is a base upon which the lower portions or extremities c of the staple rest and over which they travel.

The mode of operation of the hereinabove described toy or game apparatus is as follows: The parts being in the position illustratedin the accompanying drawing, the vibrations of the hand impart an oscillating motion to the blade at, and this motion of the blade is imparted to the staple c, and causes the lower ends 0 to slip along the table in the direction of inclination of the staple when the blade is lifted, and its upper portion 0, is caused thereby to slip along the blade in the same direction when the blade is depressed, with the result that the monkey 1), travels toward the high end of the blade, that is, toward the left in the drawing. Of course the rate of travel of the monkey depends upon the degree of trembling or twitching of the hand or arm of the manipulator, and by practice it is possible to acquire the requisite strength and skill for preventing such tremblings and twitohings, whereby the monkey is permitted to remain at rest. Consequently in playing this game, as in playing other games requiring skill and practice in order to attain proficiency, a certain feeling of competition among players and spectators,is created which tends to interest and cause excitement in connection therewith.

Having thus described the nature and objects of our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A game apparatus comprising a base, a blade adapted to be held in the hand, and a grotesque figure connected with a bent wire,

the construction being such that any muscular or nervous vibrations of the hand or arm or both cause the grotesque figure of the wire to travel along the blade, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

MAXIMII IAN TI-IIELE. CARL KUPFERLING. FRITZ SICIITERMANN.

Witn esses PAUL FISCHER, PAUL BRINKMAN. 

